Middle East latest: Thai worker killed by cross-border fire in northern Israel

Cross-border fire killed a young man from Thailand in the north of Israel early Friday, a day after Israeli strikes in Lebanon left dozens of people dead in Beirut and wounded two U.N. peacekeepers.

At least 22 people were killed and 117 wounded in Israeli airstrikes that hit two areas in central Beirut, Lebanon’s health ministry said.

In southern Lebanon, meanwhile, the U.N. peacekeeping force said an Israeli tank fired on its headquarters in the town of Naqoura, hitting an observation tower and wounding two peacekeepers, who were hospitalized.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not say how many were fighters but say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities. The war has destroyed large areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of 2.3 million people, often multiple times.

A year ago, Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel’s security fence and stormed into army bases and farming communities, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. They are still holding about 100 captives inside Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.

Israel is now at war with Hamas in Gaza and its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, which began firing rockets at Israel on Oct. 8, 2023.

Here is the latest:

GENEVA – The U.N. is getting ready for the start a second round of polio vaccinations for children in Gaza next week, and appealed for the implementation of a “humanitarian pause” to enable the campaign.

A first round of vaccinations was concluded last month after the detection of Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years. The new round is due to start on Monday and aims to give a second dose to some 591,700 children.

Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization’s representative in the Palestinian territories, said Friday that a pause in fighting will once again be a “prerequisite” for a successful second round.

He said that “we renew our request for all parties of the conflict to implement this necessary humanitarian pause” in Gaza. He added that this is “particularly critical as new evacuation orders in the north of Gaza are threatening access to hospitals and protection of health facilities and health and community workers.”

VIENTIANE, Laos — Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday gave support to Israel’s escalated campaign against Hezbollah, saying it had “clear and legitimate” reasons, but said the U.S. is trying to find a diplomatic solution to the war.

“When the horror of Oct. 7 happened, the next day Hezbollah joined in, trying to create another front in the process,” he told a news conference after attending an annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos.

He said Israel has a “clear and very legitimate interest” in trying to allow the return of its citizens who were evacuated from their homes in northern Israel because of Hezbollah fire. “The people of Lebanon want the same thing,” he said, referring to Lebanese who fled homes near the border to escape Israeli bombardment.

“We believe that the best way to get there is through a diplomatic understanding, one that we’ve been working on for some time and one that we’re extremely focused on right now,” he said.

Blinken said it was also important that civilians are protected amid fighting in Lebanon and Gaza, adding that not enough humanitarian aid is reaching north Gaza and other areas.

JERUSALEM — Cross-border fire from Lebanon killed a young worker from Thailand in the north of Israel early Friday, Israel’s military said.

Israel's military said that the 27-year-old was killed by a rocket that hit farmland. The Thai Embassy in Israel and Israel's paramedic service said he was killed by an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon. The two accounts could not immediately be reconciled.

The man was a farmworker on Kibbutz Yir'on, a communal farm in the north, the embassy said in a Facebook post Friday. The attack also “severely traumatized” another worker.

The embassy was working on getting in touch with the man’s family, a spokesperson for Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a news conference in Bangkok.

The Israeli military said two other civilians were injured in the same incident Friday. Hezbollah claimed one missile attack on a military position in the north Friday morning.

Hezbollah and other militants in Lebanon have been exchanging fire with Israel for the past year. Israel recently escalated bombardment in Lebanon and invaded a strip inside the Lebanese border, vowing to push out Hezbollah fighters.

Friday’s strike was one of the first civilian deaths in Israel since the escalation began in late September. Two Israelis were killed by rocket debris Wednesday. On the Lebanese side, Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,400 people in the past three weeks, including fighters, civilians and medical personnel.

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey condemned Israel’s attack on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, characterizing it as “a manifestation of its perception that its crimes go unpunished.”

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said in a statement Thursday that its headquarters and positions “have been repeatedly hit” by Israeli forces. Two UNIFIL troops were wounded in the attacks.

The Israeli military acknowledged opening fire at a U.N. base in southern Lebanon on Thursday and said it had ordered the peacekeepers to “remain in protected spaces.”

“The international community is obliged to ensure that Israel abides by international law,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement released late Thursday. “We will continue to support all initiatives within the framework of international law to promote peace in the region.

Turkey contributes to UNIFIL Maritime Task Force with a corvette and five personnel, the ministry said.

A man checks his destroyed house at the site of Thursday's Israeli airstrike, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Lebanese women pass destroyed buildings at the site of Thursday's Israeli airstrike, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Lebanese women pass the destroyed buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Rescue workers use an excavator to clear the rubble of destroyed buildings as they search for victims at the site of Thursday's Israeli airstrike, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Rescue workers clear the rubble of destroyed buildings as they search for victims at the site of Thursday's Israeli airstrike, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Rescue workers stand in front of destroyed buildings, as they prepare to start search for victims at the site of Thursday's Israeli airstrike, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A woman passes in front of destroyed cars at the site of Thursday's Israeli airstrike, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A man uses his mobile phone as flames and smoke rise at the scene of buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

Time is running short to join our exclusive U.S. Election webinars! Click here to join the AP Customer Zone group “You’re Invited” to register for our webinar series that will help your newsroom prepare for the General Election. You also can view recordings of other election webinars, as well as recordings of our ongoing series.

——————————

ONLY ON AP

——————————

ELECTION 2024-AP POLL-HISPANIC VOTERS — A solid majority of Hispanic women have a positive opinion of Vice President Kamala Harris and a negative view of former President Donald Trump, but Hispanic men are divided on both candidates, according to a recent AP-NORC poll. By Fernanda Figueroa and Linley Sanders. SENT: 970 words, photo.

NAVY SEALS-INVESTIGATION — A military investigation has concluded that two U.S. Navy SEALs drowned as they tried to climb aboard a ship carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen because of glaring training failures and a lack of understanding about what to do after a fall into deep, turbulent waters. By Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.

——————————

TOP STORIES

——————————

US-HURRICANE MILTON — Florida residents are continuing to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Milton and figure out what to do next. The storm smashed through coastal communities, tore homes to pieces, flooded streets and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes. At least eight people are dead, but many are relieved Milton wasn’t worse. The hurricane spared Tampa a direct hit and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized. The state’s vital tourism industry is beginning to return to normal. By Julio Cortez, Kate Payne and Haven Daley. SENT: 600 words, photos, video. WITH: HURRICANE MILTON-THINGS TO KNOW; HURRICANE MILTON-THE LATEST; HURRICANE-MILTON-REVERSE-SURGE; HURRICANE-MILTON-ASHES. (All Sent.) Find more stories on the storms, click here.

ELECTION 2024-HURRICANE POLITICS — A pair of unwelcome and destructive guests named Helene and Milton have stormed their way into this year’s presidential election. The unprecedented back-to-back hurricanes have jumbled the schedules of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, both of whom devoted part of their Thursdays to tackling questions about the storms. By Josh Boak. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. WITH: ELECTION 2024 — Donald Trump holds rallies in Aurora, Colorado, and Reno, Nevada, where he is expected to spotlight immigration. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos by 9 a.m. First event at 3 p.m.

MIDEAST-WARS — Lebanese rescue workers are searching through the rubble of a collapsed building after two Israeli strikes hit central Beirut, killing at least 22 people and wounding dozens. The air raid was the deadliest attack on central Beirut in over a year of war, hitting two residential buildings in neighborhoods that have swelled with displaced people fleeing Israeli bombardment elsewhere in the country. Hezbollah’s TV said the strikes were a failed attempt to kill one of its officials, who it said was not present in the buildings at the time. Thursday night’s strikes came as Israel escalates its campaign against Hezbollah with waves of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion at the border. By Bassem Mroue. SENT: 1,040 words, photos, video. WITH: MIDEAST WARS-LEBANON EVACUATION WARNINGS — Israel’s airstrike warnings terrify and confuse Lebanese civilians. SENT: 1,170 words, photos; MIDEAST-WARS-EU-LEADERS — Leaders of Jordan and southern Europe meet in a bid to help de-escalate Middle East crisis. SENT: 460 words; MIDEAST-WARS-THE-LATEST (Sent.)

NOBEL-PEACE — The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of survivors of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for its activism against nuclear weapons. Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the award was made as the “taboo against the use of nuclear weapon is under pressure.” Last year’s prize went to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi for her advocacy of women’s rights and democracy, and against the death penalty. By Mike Corder and Elena Becatoros. SENT: 390 words, photos.

PAKISTAN-VIOLENCE — Police say gunmen killed 20 miners and wounded another seven in Pakistan’s southwest. It’s the latest attack in restive Balochistan province and comes days ahead of a major security summit being hosted in the capital. A police official said the gunmen stormed the accommodations at the coal mine in Duki district late Thursday night, rounded up the men and opened fire. Most of the men were from Pashtun-speaking areas of Balochistan. Three of the dead and four of the wounded were Afghan. Nobody claimed immediate responsibility. By Abdul Sattar. SENT: 610 words, photo (map).

ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-IMMIGRATION — Former President Donald Trump is coming to a Colorado city where crime is down to warn about the danger he says criminal migrants pose to voters. Trump is holding a rally on Friday at a resort in Aurora, Colorado. The city near Denver became infamous in August when a video circulated showing armed men walking through an apartment building housing Venezuelan migrants. Police have since made multiple arrests and the building’s residents say they feel safer now. This occurred in a single block in a city of 400,000 where crime has been dropping. By Nicholas Riccardi. SENT: 1,540 words, photos. An abridged version is available.

—————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR

—————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Authorities say a nighttime Russian missile strike on Odesa has killed at least four people, including a 16-year-old girl. It is the latest in a series of attacks this week on the southern Ukrainian region that likely are intended to disrupt the country’s grain exports. SENT: 340 words.

EUROPE-UKRAINE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been city-hopping across Europe to promote a “victory plan” that he said “aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war” against Russia. He detailed the proposals Thursday to European allies. SENT: 930 words, photos. WITH: TURKMENISTAN-RUSSIA — Russian President Vladimir Putin began a visit to Turkmenistan Friday, speaking at an international forum with Central Asian leaders and the president of Iran. SENT: 310 words, photos, video.

——————————-

MORE NEWS

——————————-

BRITAIN-ROYALS — Prince William and the Princess of Wales on Thursday carried out their first joint public engagement since the end of Kate’s chemotherapy by meeting the bereaved parents of victims of a stabbing rampage in the seaside town of Southport. SENT: 290 words, photos.

SOUTH-KOREA-NOBEL-LITERATURE — South Koreans have reacted with joy and astonishment after learning that homegrown writer Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in literature, an unexpected moment that stoked national pride about the country’s growing cultural influence. SENT: 760 words, photos.

INDIA-RAMLEELA-PHOTO-GALLERY — Performers bring Hindu gods to life in the Ramleela. SENT: 540 words, photos.

——————————————————

WASHINGTON/POLITICS

——————————————————

US-ELECTION 2024-HOUSE-CALIFORNIA — California’s reputation as a politically liberal state is being tested in a string of U.S. House districts that are expected to play into control of the chamber. Both parties see it as a crucial battleground and are pumping millions of dollars into contests in Southern California and the Central Valley farm belt. SENT: 1,510 words, photos.

US-ELECTION-2024-PACIFIC-NORTHWEST — National Republicans and Democrats are keenly eyeing the Pacific Northwest, where two of the most competitive U.S. House races in the country are playing out. SENT: 970 words, photos.

————————

NATIONAL

————————

COLORADO-GOLD-MINE-PEOPLE-TRAPPED — One person was killed and 12 people were rescued after being trapped for about six hours at the bottom of a former Colorado gold mine when an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site. SENT: 490 words, photos, video.

BOEING-JUSTICE-DEPARTMENT — Relatives of passengers who died in Boeing Max crashes will tell a judge to throw out a plea agreement that they say is a sweetheart deal for Boeing. A federal judge in Texas will hear arguments over the plea deal on Friday. SENT: 370 words.

US-CAMPUS DEATH GEORGIA — The man accused of killing a nursing student whose body was found on the University of Georgia campus is facing a court hearing Friday as his trial looms next month. SENT: 470 words, photos.

US-BIRD STRIKES-CHICAGO — Avian enthusiasts try to counter the deadly risk of Chicago high-rises for migrating birds. SENT: 670 words, photos, video.

————————————

INTERNATIONAL

————————————

LAOS-ASEAN — The U.S. is concerned about China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful” activities in the disputed South China Sea, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Southeast Asian leaders Friday during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ annual summit meeting in Vientiane, Laos. SENT: 720 words, photos. WITH: AUSTRALIA-CHINA — China will resume importing Australian live lobsters by the end of the year, Australia's prime minister said at the ASEAN summit. SENT: 490 words, photos.

NEW-ZEALAND-NAVY-SEXISM — New Zealand’s Defense Minister Judith Collins has decried what she called misogynistic online comments about the woman commander of a navy ship which ran aground, caught fire and sank off the coast of Samoa on Sunday. SENT: 570 words, photos, video.

MACAO-ELECTION-CANDIDATE — Some 400 pro-establishment electors are set to approve the sole candidate for Macao’s chief executive job on Sunday, making him the Chinese casino hub’s first leader born in mainland China. It’s a break from the longtime practice of choosing locally-born leaders. SENT: 930 words, photos, video.

PANAMA-DARIEN-MIGRATION — The number of migrants crossing the Darien Gap, a rugged jungle passage between Colombia and Panama, increased significantly in September. SENT: 480 words, photos.

MIGRATION-ALBANIA-ITALY — Italy formally opens centers in Albania to process male migrants intercepted in international waters. SENT: 500 words. WITH: ALBANIA-TURKEY-ERDOGAN — Turkey’s president traveled Thursday to Albania’s capital to inaugurate a Turkish-funded mosque with 50-meter-high minarets as part of a trip to boost ties and discuss regional issues. SENT: 440 words, photos.

———————-

BUSINESS

———————-

TESLA-ROBOTAXI-DAY — Tesla unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi at a Hollywood studio Thursday night, though fans of the electric vehicle maker will have to wait until at least 2026 before they are available. CEO Elon Musk said the “Cybercab” doesn’t have have steering wheels or pedals.

—————————————

ENTERTAINMENT

—————————————-

AUSTRALIA-YUNG-FILLY — A British YouTuber and rapper known as Yung Filly has been charged with raping and choking a woman in a hotel room following an Australian music performance on Sept. 28. The performer whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos appeared in court Thursday in Perth. SENT: 320 words.

——————

SPORTS

——————

ALDS-YANKEES-ROYALS — Gerrit Cole held the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings Thursday night, sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back to the American League Championship Series. SENT: 970 words, photos.

ALDS-GUARDIANS-TIGERS — Pinch-hitter David Fry had a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, then bunted home an insurance run in the ninth to help the Cleveland Guardians force a decisive Game 5 against the Detroit Tigers in their AL Division Series with a 5-4 victory. SENT: 710 words, photos.

——————————————

HOW TO REACH US

——————————————

The Nerve Center can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1600. For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

Members of the New York Yankees celebrate in the clubhouse following a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Detroit Tigers' Trey Sweeney strikes out in the eighth inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

FILE The sole candidate for the upcoming election for the Macao chief executive post, Sam Hou Fai, the city's former top judge, waves as he leaves the stage after a press conference at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Macao, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Kwan, File)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a news conference during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Vientiane, Laos, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Tang Chhin Sothy/Pool Photo via AP)

Wildlife Keeper Stephanie Scurtu examines a wood thrush, a kind of migrating songbird, to determine if it is healthy enough for release at the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Glen Ellyn, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Two actors who played Hindu god Rama, sitting, and his brother Laxman, standing next to him in the center, wait on the stage at the end of the third day of Ramleela, a dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Rama according to the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, as event organizers and donors pray to them, in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

FILE - South Korean author Han Kang poses for the media during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Kang has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

Britain's Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, speak to members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pose for photographers after the press conference, at Villa Pamphilj, in Rome, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A winch brings up trapped mine visitors Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colo. (Arthur Trichett-Wile/The Gazette via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, on the Gila River Indian Community reservation in Chandler, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump departs after speaking at a meeting of the Detroit Economic Club, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Men read mobile phone alerts telling residents of southern Lebanon not to return to their homes until further notice because of operations Israel says are targeting Hezbollah facilities in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A man uses his mobile phone as flames and smoke rise at the scene of buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Natasha Ducre surveys the kitchen of her devastated home, which lost most of its roof during the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Palmetto, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Ducre, her husband, three children, and two grandkids rode out the storm in a government shelter and returned to find their home unlivable and much of their furniture and belongings destroyed by rainwater. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

FILE - This combo image, provided by the Department of Defense, shows Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers, left, and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram, right. Chambers and Ingram died while boarding an unflagged ship carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen, Jan. 11, 2024, in the Arabian Sea. (Department of Defense via AP, File)

AP News Digest 3 a.m.

FILE - Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves to the crowd as she arrives at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Leadership Conference, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

AP News Digest 3 a.m.